52 Ancestors 2021: Week 37: On the Farm

When I think of farming and my ancestors -- the number one person who comes to mind is my Great-Grandfather, Richard Jerome "Dick" Blanford. I was fortunate enough to meet Papa Dick when I was a baby - but sadly he passed away just two months prior to my third birthday. 

Dick Blanford was born on November 5th, 1913, in Union County, Kentucky, to Martin Allen Blanford and Mary Agnes Nally. He was the eldest child out of six total - only five surviving to adulthood. 

Dick had a modest upbringing, growing up in the areas of Smith Mills and Corydon in Henderson County. The area known as "Walnut Bottom" in census, actually. Unfortunately, when he was only thirteen years of age - he lost his mother, Mary Agnes, to tuberculosis. I can only imagine how that shaped him as a person. 

On July 11th, 1931, he married Miss Verna Lorene LaRue, the daughter of Charles Clarence LaRue and Carrie Annie Byrd. His brother, Thomas Allen "Tom" Blanford would go on to marry Lorene's sister Opal Lois LaRue. 

Dick and Lorene stuck to the Geneva and Smith Mills area of the county. According to my Grandpa, in his youth, they lived in three different places that burnt down before they settled on the Latta Place. It was a small white house at the very end of Star School Rd in Geneva.. and now it's no longer there. It used to be surrounded by cornfields and bayou. 

After they were older, Dick built a large house on Trigg-Hooper Rd. At this house, Dick did a lot of farming, a lot of raising livestock, and even had an apple orchard. It was at this house that his kids, grandkids, and even some great-grandchildren formed a lot of precious memories. It was this house that I remember very, very vaguely. 

I had a snippet of a memory, like a flash in a dream that he was holding me outside on his lap and I could remember looking up at the night sky. Mom said I was remembering watching Fourth of July fireworks out there, most likely on July 4th, 1995.. I was two years and five months old. 

Over the last few years, I've found numerous articles from the Evansville newspaper chronicling when Papa Dick would sell some livestock, donate to charity, or have an auction at his farm. It's been quite a neat trip back in time to see some of the things I have and read some of things I have. 

To this day, we have an aerial photograph of the house and farm on our wall. We have laminated pages from where he made the Features section of the newspaper for his apple cider, hanging on the wall. My Mom lost her maternal Grandpa when she was just 7 years old so she built a special bond, after that, with her paternal Grandpa. I think in his own way, he tried to make up for her not having her other Grandpa. Very much like my own maternal Grandma made up for me not having my paternal Grandma.

Unfortunately, after Dick passed, the farm was lost. Dick knew that all of his everything -- personal, real estate, etc, would have to be sold because he had a kid or two that were too greedy for their own good and nothing would be able to be divided properly and 'kept within the family.' No one would be able to 'keep' anything without another child being jealous of it. Matter a fact, my Mom says he used to proudly wear a hat that said, "I'm spending my children's inheritance." 

To this day - it still ruffles a few feathers that my Grandpa Jady was given the antique roll top desk of Papa Dick's, and it ruffles even more feathers that Grandpa Jady left it to my Mom when he died. I now have two antique roll top desks - one from each of my Grandfather's and I couldn't be happier. A genealogist needs a proper desk...two or three in my opinion. 

I wish I could remember what Dick was like. I don't remember his voice. I don't remember the apple cider or anything like that. I do remember the apple butter and the apple pie.. as my Grandpa continued to make it long after Papa Dick passed away. My Dad still uses the pie recipe to this day. I remember taking apple butter to show and tell in first grade. Back when we could actually take homemade food to school, share it with our classmates, and it wasn't against the law. 

On December 14th, 1995, Papa Dick passed away at his home in his sleep -- he'd battled prostate cancer for many years. He and Mama 'Rene are buried in Saint Louis Cemetery, which I affectionately refer to as "Blanford Memorial Gardens," because the front of the cemetery has a lot of Blanford tombstones showing from the road, including their own. 

If you visit the cemetery any time soon, maybe stop and introduce yourself to one of Henderson County's most influential farmers. Dick loved meeting new people, and he didn't view anyone as a stranger -- a trait his son, my Grandpa Jady, inherited from him. Sit down for a spell and maybe he'll tell you a story while peeling an apple with a pocket knife. You might learn something. 

Fatally Burned: The Short Life of Betty Jean Duncan

Back in August/September when I was working on the Gibson Cemetery - I stumbled upon the tragic death of my 5th cousin 2x removed, Betty Jean Duncan. Betty isn't buried at the Gibson Cemetery, but her ancestors might be. I know her Duncan ancestors are out in the Duncan Cemetery which isn't too terribly far away from Gibson Cemetery. It's out in the Corydon/Dixie area. 

Betty was the 4x Granddaughter of Nathaniel Benjamin Duncan and Jane Rainey -- my 6x Grandparents through their daughter, Susan Duncan who married Berryman Gibson.. Susan and Berryman are of course buried at the Gibson Cemetery. 

Betty was the daughter of Fines William Duncan and Lola C. Farris. She was born on January 19th, 1934. The tragic accident happened on April 17th, 1945 - Betty was just eleven years old. Betty was left home alone with her younger siblings while her father was apparently at work and her mother went down the road a few blocks to a neighbors house. 

They lived at 534 Dixon St, according to an article in the Evansville newspaper. Little Betty went to light a fire in the stove using coal oil. Unfortunately, her clothes ended up catching on fire, and well, the rest is a tragic history. 

Betty was buried in Fernwood Cemetery but has no tombstone. I would say she's very near where her parents are in the cemetery. It's possible she had an infant tombstone many decades ago and it's just 'gone' now, or beneath the dirt a few inches. I'll try to prod for it sometime this spring. 

Corydon, Ky; Insurance Agent Dies

I wasn't unfamiliar with the name Gayle Frasier whatsoever when I was revisiting the Gibson Cemetery back in August/September for a project. I've seen his tombstone a many of times in my life but - I didn't know exactly who Gayle was until I researched a bit more. 

Gayle was born on February 8th, 1885, in Webster County, KY, to John C. Frasier and Lee Forrest Pressley. (His father is buried in Corydon Cemetery, and his mother is buried in Springdale Cemetery in Sebree.) He had at least three brothers. 

In about 1907 or 1908 - Gayle married Lucile S. Gibson and they only had one son: Ambrose Haywood Frasier. 

It seems the Frasier family jumped around between Corydon, Detroit, Michigan, and Evansville. It was in Evansville that Gayle passed away on May 24th, 1950, at the age of 65. It was the article I found in the Evansville newspaper that clued me into a lot of back story of Gayle's life. He was a local insurance agent, and he was well known in the baseball circles of Western Kentucky. 

Gayle had been a manager of Corydon's Press League champions in the early 1930's, and prior to that, he'd been a player for a many of years. Very neat to learn this tidbit of information! Another famous Corydon resident became to the 2nd commissioner of baseball in 1945 -- A.B. "Happy" Chandler. I ponder if Gayle and Happy knew one another. I can't imagine that they didn't. 

Next time you're out at the Gibson Cemetery - stop and introduce yourself to cousin Gayle. 

The devastating end of Erastus Gibson

Erastus isn't someone I'm unfamiliar with. I've seen his tombstone a dozen times in my life, every time I go out to the Gibson Cemetery.. but I was ignorant to his life's story. Bless this man's heart. This article broke me inside. 

God rest your soul, Erastus. I'm proud to be your cousin -- 1st cousin 4x removed to be exact. 

Erastus was the son of George Harrell Gibson and Cora Francis Young. He was the second of only four children: three boys and one girl. Erastus had married Mary Evelyn Hughes on November 27th, 1912, in White County, IL. They procured a divorce before he left to fight in World War 1, the way I understand it. The article speaks for itself on how life went for Erastus after arriving home from war. 

The next time you're out at the Gibson Cemetery in Corydon.. give some special attention to his grave. He certainly deserves it. Hopefully I can get his tombstone looking new again come this spring. 

Say Hello to Uncle Fagan

James Fagan Gibson was a prominent man in the Corydon community -- he ran the county sanitarium for nine years, and his father had ran it for nine years before him. (I don't believe they ran it consecutively, because his father, John Gregory Gibson died in 1890, then Fagan died in 1911. I think someone ran the county home between Fagan and his Dad.)

James Fagan Gibson was the son of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby - my 4x Grandparents. That would make Fagan my 3x Great-Granduncle. He was the fourth child out of thirteen. My 3x Grandmother, Vandalia, was number nine out of thirteen. (Rough estimate is thirteen. There might be miscarriages and stillbirths we don't know about.) 

Fagan married Nancy Jane "Nannie" Gibson, his cousin, on April 20th, 1872, in Gallatin County, Illinois. They reared no children. However, they did raise their niece, Minnie Lee Gibson, like she was their own. Minnie's mother, Lucilla, died about eleven months after Minnie's birth. 

It took quite a bit of sleuth work to figure out that Minnie was not their daughter -- a lot of genealogists prior to myself had made the assumption that she was. However, with some heavy handed genealogy and possibly some DNA (to which I don't have access to), it led to the conclusion that Minnie was Lucilla's daughter. We haven't a clue who Minnie's biological father was. 

Fagan was also a member of the Woodmen of the World organization - hence why his tombstone looks the way it does. The best way to describe the Woodmen of the World organization would be like life insurance in today's times. 

From what I understand, the Corydon Sanitarium or "County Poor Farm," was on Diamond Island Rd, just outside the Corydon City limits. After you pass A.B. Chandler Elementary going into Corydon on Highway 60, it would be the next road on your left. The best I understand - the building itself is now gone and there's no traces of the cemetery, either. The only records we have of the burials in the county poor farm cemetery are from death certificates, old records, and family stories. I'm unsure if the land is woods/grown up or if it's a farmers field these days.

Next time you're out at Gibson Cemetery - say hello to Uncle Fagan. A devoted son, brother, husband, and an Uncle who became a Father figure - not to forget, an influential member of the county. 

**His tombstone is one that I definitely plan to get cleaned up in the spring. Behind his tombstone to the right you can see the tombstone of Sid and Mamie (Phillips) Nally. Direct behind theirs is Vannie Louise Thompson.**

My Connection to infamous John Dillinger

This morning while I ate a little breakfast, I decided to watch an episode from the newest season of Expedition Unknown (a Discovery Channel show). The episode was about John Dillinger - who of course I'm not unfamiliar with. We've all seen documentaries, movies, television shows. This morning was the first time, though, that I guess I was listening intently enough to hear mention of the crime that set Dillinger on his path of crime. 

While living in Mooresville, Morgan County, Indiana; he had befriended a guy about ten years his senior -- Ed Singleton. Supposedly Ed was a distant cousin of Dillinger's on his step-mother's side. Ed was the town's pool shark, and apparently, led John into his first crime of robbing a grocery store ran by Frank Morgan. 

Anyway -- what stood out to me was the last name Singleton. I have that in my tree and it's not THAT common of a last name, honestly. So I decided to go to Ancestry and search this 'Ed' Singleton - his full name being William Edgar Singleton. Sure enough, he was born in Lincoln County, Kentucky...the home place of my Singleton's.

It didn't take me long until I pieced him into my tree. He's my 5th cousin 3x removed. Ed Singleton was killed on August 31st, 1937, by being hit by a freight train. Wikipedia incorrectly states he was shot down.. but his death certificate clearly says a train accident, as does a newspaper article I found. 

I wonder if Lincoln County, KY, was a breeding place for men who'd eventually get into trouble. My 2x Grandfather, Frank Bastin, was born in Lincoln County in 1878, and when he was just 13 years old (newspaper article says 12 years old), he stabbed an older boy and was run out of town - or rather, 'left town before he could get good and proper into trouble.' The boy he stabbed, Joe Henry, did survive; so Frank, thankfully, wasn't a murderer. 

Coincidentally enough it was Frank Bastin who married Ilena "Lena" Singleton on October 17th, 1895, in Campbell County, TN. In the 1900 census, they've made their home in Pittsburg, Laurel County, KY. Then by 1910, they've taken up residence in Central City, Muhlenberg County, KY. 

Lena was the daughter of Rufus Franklin Singleton and his first wife, Rhoda Elizabeth Goff. Thanks to DNA, I finally got a good idea of this side of my family tree. Before DNA, the best we knew was that Lena's mother was "Lizzie Goff," and she died between 1880-1900 as Rufus remarries to Laura Ping (who was actually Lizzie's cousin). Thanks to DNA, I made the connection that she was Rhoda Elizabeth Goff. 

My Bastin's and Singleton's -- or rather their collateral lines were in the Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, KY area for generations.. I'm surprised none of our family had made the connection between Ed Singleton (Dillinger's friend) and our family before. I guess it took the family genealogist to figure that out. 

Thanks for reading my coffee fueled morning ramblings. 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 36: Work

For the most part, I come from a long, long line of farmers. I do have a few ancestors who held different occupations though and I'm extremely thankful for them or else I'd have no "flavor" in my tree, haha. 

Starting off with my parents -- my Dad is a welder, pipefitter, and boilermaker. He's had numerous other jobs in the past though including working at fast food establishments, being a maintenance person at an apartment complex, and even working at a gas station until he found his way into welding. As a youngin', he worked in the tobacco fields, which was kind of like a right of passage back in those days.

My Mom has been unemployed since she was pregnant with me. Her last proper job was at Thornton's in about September of 1992. Prior to that, she worked at the Deli inside the Citi-Center Mall downtown, and had also worked at Riverside Downs racetrack, a beer distributor, a tax office, delivering newspapers, and of course as a youngin', she helped out in the tobacco fields. 

My Grandparents -- Granddad Glen was an ironworker and farmer. I don't know much about his work career other than that work took him to big cities like New York City, Chicago, and Kansas City, Missouri. Grandma Mina, as far as I know, was a waitress for most of her life. Here in Henderson, I know she worked at the Ramada for many, many years. 

Grandpa Jady was a jack of all trades who held many occupations in his lifetime and the most consistent one was farmer. At one time or another, though, Grandpa worked for the oil fields, worked as a maintenance shop foreman, drove a cement truck.. You name it, my Grandpa Jady probably done it. 

Grandma Glynda was a bookkeeper through and through. She was a tax preparer for many moons, but primarily she did books wherever she worked. She did books and secretarial work for many car lots, A.D.M, and her last place of employment was the Dodge Store. Grandma was exceptionally good at math... my weakest subject. 

As for my Great-Grandparents -- Clint Mefford worked in the coal mines - more appropriately, he was a manager of one, and that brought in decent money. It's been said many times that the Mefford family didn't really feel the Great Depression quite like my Blanford family did. Edith, his wife, as far as I know was a homemaker without ever having a true occupation. 

Doc Jones to the best of my knowledge was a farmer and his wife without occupation aside from housewife and fulltime mother. Looking back at census - in the 1930 census, he was a deckhand on a boat and in 1940, he worked for the W.P.A. 

Dick Blanford was a farmer through and through. In his later years, he ran an apple orchard and was well known for his apple cider. He worked a lot with livestock and ever so often you'd see his name in the newspaper for auctioning off either livestock or some old farm equipment. His wife, Lorene, was a stay at home wife and mother - which was a handful, trust me. They had a passel of children. 

Henry Sandefur did a little bit of everything in his life. He was a fireman on and off. I know he drove a school bus at one time or another. In the 1930 census, at just 17, he was working in a furniture factory (probably Delker Brothers here in Henderson.) In the 1940 census, he was working for the W.P.A. His wife, Anna, was a stay at home wife and mother until her children, or at least almost all of her children, were out of the nest. She became a school bus driver and that's the job she retired from in the late 80's. 

My Great-Great-Grandparents -- French Mefford was a farmer and his wife, Emma, did not work. Frank Bastin started out as a coal miner, then a foreman in the coal mines, and then in his later life turned into a farmer. His wife, Lena, did not work. We're getting back into the days where it just wasn't a thing for women to work whatsoever. Their one and only job was to take care of the house, husband, and children. 

Aaron Jones was a blacksmith, until his later years, then he began to farm. Bill White was also a farmer his whole life, either on his own farm, or labor on another's farm. Martin Blanford was a farmer as well - the Blanford's well versed in the nature of farming. It seems like that's quite literally ALL they did. 

Charles LaRue was a farmer as well. The LaRue's are a long line of farmers going back many, many generations. Eugene Sandefur in the 1900 census was a house painter, by 1910 and for the rest of his life until he retired - he was a mail carrier. I believe he mostly ran rural routes even though the family lived in town on Clay St. His wife, Ollie, in the 1900 census is given the occupation of 'weaver,' and that's the only time she's ever listed as having an occupation. 

John R. Thompson was a farmer - although I dare say his best money was made when they found oil on his property in Niagara. The Thompson's, too, are a long line of farmers. It seems like my Catholic lines (Blanford, Thompson, Nally, etc) are all farmers. Not sure if it really has much to do with the religion or not, but it seems likely that it does, at least to some degree. 

I could go on and continue listing my ancestors, but from this point, their occupations wouldn't change. I do believe with heavy certainty that all of my 3x Great-Grandfathers and probably 4x, and 5x, and so on... were all farmers. I can't think of a single one, off the top of my hand, that had a different occupation. 

Unfortunately, this blog is a bit boring and probably isn't as chalk full of information as some of my others but... what can I say? I occasionally have slightly boring ancestors, haha. Not really boring, I guess, but... their work lives were uneventful for the most part. Especially coming from long lines of farmers. I wish I knew more about the types of crops they grew. Sadly, I don't. 

52 Ancestors 21: Week 35: School

I don't really have any teachers or principals in my direct ancestor line -- but I do have relatives who have become teachers and professors. Namely, my Granduncle Charles was a university professor back in the day. He's been retired for a number of years now. He's 88 years old now and still kicking. I was lurking Ancestry yearbooks one time and found a couple of him when he was teaching in various places - namely Cincinnati. I loved seeing them. I have to share one with you!

He even signed their yearbook! He was teaching Spanish/Latin back then. But I know he's taught a many of subjects over the years. His last job, before retiring, was teaching G.E.D. classes at our small community college here in Henderson, Kentucky. He retired from that in the early 2000's. 

My Mom and I have a cousin named Diane who was a teacher for many years here at Henderson County High School - she taught a number of things from Typing I and II to business math, and even business law. Chances are if you went to county high in the 1970's, 80's, or 90's -- you had Mrs. Hughes. 

I also have a Grandaunt who was a teacher's aide for a number of years. I think at some point she might have taught science at the middle school, too, but, I'm not 100% sure. 

As for my direct ancestors - none of them really got much in the way of education. My Dad has a G.E.D, my Mom got some college education. Out of my Grandparents - only one graduated high school and that was my Grandma Glynda. 

For my Great-Grandparents - I know my Great-Grandma Lorene (LaRue) Blanford graduated Corydon High School in 1932 I believe. I think my Great-Grandma Anna (Thompson) Sandefur might have graduated Smith Mills High but I haven't found a yearbook to confirm it yet. 

Most of my ancestors quit school early because they got married and started raising kids or the men had to quit school and start working on the farm. That's why my Grandpa Jady quit school in the sixth grade. 

I wish I had more to write about - I know I've written before about how my Great-Great-Grandparents sold some land to the school board for the new Niagara Elementary School. Aside from that - I don't think any schools sit on my ancestors' land or any gave land for schools besides them. 

For my own feelings when it comes to school - I'm not a fan. I'm an outspoken advocate for homeschooling. I believe today's public school is full of indoctrination. They no longer teach your children how to think for themselves; they control 100% of what your children are learning. They teach them exactly what to think and if you don't fall in line, you're labeled 'unfit.' You're labeled 'different,' and different no longer is a good thing. They want your children to be cookie cutter robots with no ounce of individualism or individual thinking. Essentially, they want your children to be 'we are borg' from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Believe it or not - my Uncle Charles and my 'Granny' for all intents and purposes (one of my biggest supporters in my genealogy and a loyal reader of my blogs) believe and feel the same way I do about public schooling. Both retired teachers, both have seen the indoctrination from the inside and the outside. 

Anyway - I wish I had more to type up and report about for the 'school' topic but I truly don't. As always, thank you for reading - it means a lot!

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 34: Character

There are several people in my family tree that could be listed as a 'character.' 'Someone who marches to the beat of their own drum.' Perhaps you use the term 'black sheep' for them or 'outcast.' Hell, that describes myself to be perfectly honest with you. 

My Granduncle Charles has always been a bit of a character - a very smart man, actually a university professor at one time or another. A devout Catholic, a family man, but definitely a character. He inherited the jokester nature of a true Blanford/LaRue. 

My late Grandaunt Motts and her spitfire attitude. She had no filter and she liked her coffee black as it could be. She was like the mascot for us black sheep and we certainly miss her to tears. 

Even my late Grandpa Jady was quite a character. He was one of the funniest men I ever knew but also one of the most serious. Grandpa Jady loved to tell jokes, construct riddles, and pull a prank or two every now and again. 

Apparently most of the Blanford's and LaRue's, and of course the Buckman's and Ganno's have gained their personality from Great-Great-Grandpa Charles Clarence LaRue who was quite a card. He loved to laugh, to joke, to pull a few pranks. He also seemed to love word games and mind puzzles. 

Another part of this topic asked if there were any actors or writers in the family. Despite listing a few of the 'characters' I'm related to, I'll go ahead and talk about the actors and writers. 

Actor Tom Hanks is my 7th cousin 2x removed.

Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks was born on July 9th, 1956, in Concord, California to parents Amos Mefford "Bud" Hanks and Janet Marylyn Frager. It is through his father's side of the family that we are related - hence his Dad's middle name of Mefford. 

His Grandfather was Ernest Hanks; his Great-Grandmother was Mary Catherine "Mollie" (Mefford) Hanks. She hailed from Shelby County, MO, but died in Tehama Co, CA. 

Mollie was the daughter of Jacob Mefford and Sarah (Critchlow) Mefford. Jacob was apparently born in Campbell County, KY, and died in Shelby Co, MO. His parents were John Mefford and Mary (Parker) Mefford. John, from what I can tell, lived his entire life in Campbell County, KY. 

John's parents were Jacob and Ellenor (possibly Hatten) Mefford. Jacob was undoubtedly born in Frederick Co, MD, and died in Campbell Co, KY. Around the 1800's, a lot of Mefford's migrated to Kentucky from many places - Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, and surrounding areas - even Pennsylvania. 

Jacob was the son of Johannes "John" Meffert/Mefford; one of three sons of Andreas Meffert (my 8x Great-Grandfather) who is hailed as the patriarch or the forefather of the Mefford's in America. Johannes was born January 24th, 1732, in the Hesse area of Germany. He and his father and two other brothers arrived in America on September 15th, 1749. In about 1755, Johannes married Susanna Kuntz. 

Johannes' naturalization to 'John Mefford' happened on September 19th, 1762, in Chester County, PA. Johannes' first wife eventually passed and he remarried, then he, too, ended up in KY; supposedly dying in Scott County, KY, in 1796. 

It is through Johannes Meffert (son of Andreas) that Tom Hanks is related to another famous person, and of course, that means I, too, am related to him. 

Even long before knowing Tom was a Mefford - I've always been drawn to him and his movies. I absolutely adore him as an actor. Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, The Polar Express, and even A League of their Own - which was filmed right here in Henderson County! Here my Dad was, a Mefford, living here in Henderson and his cousin was here filming a movie and he didn't even realize it! Hah!

Actor Mr. Rogers is my 7th cousin 2x removed. 

Fred McFeely Rogers was born on March 20th, 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. His parents were James Hillis Rogers and Nancy McFeely. It is through his mother that he is related to the Mefford's. 

His Grandfather was Frederick McFeely, his great-grandmother was Anna (Lindsay) McFeely. His 2x Grandmother was Susannah (Fish) Lindsay. 

His 3x Grandparents were Joseph Fish and Susanna (Mefford) Fish. Susanna was born in Pennsylvania and died there as well. She died in the Fayette County, PA area and is buried there. Susanna's second husband was an Evans. 

Her parents were William Mefford and Sarah (Holton) Mefford. William was born in Frederick County, Maryland, and died in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Johannes Meffert - thus making him a brother of Jacob Mefford, the ancestor of Tom Hanks.

Mr. Rogers and Tom Hanks are closer related to each other than they are to me. To one another, they are 6th cousins because they share 5x Great-Grandparents, Johannes Meffert and Susanna Kuntz. For me, though, they are both my 7th cousins 2x removed. 

I grew up watching Mr. Rogers and way back then, I'd have never imagined he could possibly be a Mefford. 

Author Debbie Dadey is my 6th cousin. 

Debra Sue Gibson, or "Debbie" as she's known to her legions of fans - was born in Union County, KY to Voline and Rebecca (Bailey) Gibson. It is from her mother's maiden name, Bailey, that she named her series of books -- the Bailey School Kids. 

Her father, Voline Everett Gibson was born in Union County, KY to Everett Wesley Gibson and May (Wicks) Gibson. Her Grandfather, Everett, was born in Union County, KY, as well. He was the son of Harbert Earl Gibson and Minnie (Utley) Gibson. 

Harbert Earl Gibson was born right here in good ol' Henderson County, KY. His parents were William Gibson and Sarah Elizabeth (Walker). They would be Debbie's 2x Grandparents. William's death certificate states he was buried in the Smith Mills Cemetery. 

Her 3x Grandparents were John William Gibson and Susannah (Covey) Gibson. They are buried in Gibson Cemetery #2 in Corydon - which you'll recall I wrote about in a longer blog back in September. They have old but still existing tombstones but they're in need of some tender love and care. 

Her 4x Grandparents were James William Gibson and Mary Watson -- they, too, are buried in Gibson Cemetery #2. The running theme with Gibson #2 is it seems to be for the descendants of James William Gibson. I'm not sure if he bought the land off of one of his brothers, cousins, uncles, or whatever and decided he wanted to start another cemetery on his own land separate from the 'main' Gibson family cemetery. It's only a stones throw away, honestly. 

This makes her 5x Grandparents Berryman Gibson and Susan (Duncan) Gibson who are buried in the main Gibson Cemetery up on the hill. Berryman and Susan, too, are my 5x Grandparents. 

This makes Debbie a 6x Granddaughter, like me, of Joel Gibson - Revolutionary War veteran who is also buried in the main family cemetery on top of the hill. All of the area surrounding the two cemeteries once belonged to the Gibson family -- they owned quite a fair bit of land at one time or another. 

I fell in love with Debbie's books as a kid attending South Heights school where I met her for the first time. I've also been privileged to meet her again at our local library a few years later. Then, most recently, I messaged her to let her know that my Mom's copy of Whistler's Hollow had disappeared many years ago and it had really made her sad. It was autographed and she felt horrid that, inevitably, the person she 'loaned' it to, never gave it back. 

So Debbie sent us a new copy, autographed, and also let me know some amazing Gibson family history as well. I'm excited to hopefully meet with her in the future if she ever comes back to town for a visit. 

Emmy-winning journalist and executive (in many forms of the word!) Betsy Fischer-Martin is my 5th cousin 1x removed. 

Betsy is the wife of journalist Jonathan Martin who currently is a political correspondent for the New York Times. Betsy is the daughter of George Fischer Jr and Sally (Ford) Fischer. It is through her late mother, Sally, that we are related. 

Sally was the daughter of Alexander Ford Jr and Ella Mae (Gibson) Ford. Ella was born right here in Henderson, KY, but ended up living life in several places before calling Louisiana home, where she passed away. 

Ella's parents were Barak Gibson and Gertrude (Thornton) -- they are buried in Fernwood Cemetery, right next door to me. Back in 2019, when the photo of me and Betsy was taken, I gave her a tour of the town and one of our stops was Fernwood. I told her a many interesting facts about the cemetery while we searched for her Gibson ancestors. 

Her 2x Grandparents were Stephen Gibson and Ella Brashear. Stephen/Steven died in a drowning accident in 1913 and is buried in Smith Mills Cemetery. His wife, Ella, died several years later and is buried in Louisville. 

Stephen was the son of Joel E. Gibson and Margaret J. Martin. Joel supposedly died young in 1853 - it's very possible he's buried in the main Gibson Cemetery or perhaps Gibson #2. His wife, Margaret, died a little over 50 years later and she is buried in the Smith Mills Cemetery. I'm not sure that in 1853 that Joel would have been buried there -- more likely buried in the main Gibson Cemetery, just without a findable tombstone. 

Joel E. Gibson was the son of Berryman Gibson and Susan Duncan, my 5x Grandparents. For Betsy, they are her 4x Grandparents - that's what makes us 5th cousins 1x removed. While she was in Henderson, she did breakfast with my Mom who would be her 5th cousin, as Berryman and Susan are Mom's 4x Grandparents as well. 

Funny enough, we went downtown to an antique shop and saw a framed photograph of firemen from back in the day. I told her in the photograph was my Great-Granduncle, Russell Sandefur.

Right after we left the antique shop - we headed to a porch tea party that I was allowed to tag along. The most crazy Godwink ever occurred. It was being hosted by a dear friend of Betsy's late mother and the woman turned out to be my Grandma Glynda's first cousin - Rita (Sandefur) Clement, the daughter of Russell Sandefur, in the photograph! 

We Gibson girls got together in a photograph (the other Gibson's in the photo are closer related to Betsy, than to myself) and then they grabbed a photo of me and Rita together - the Sandefur girls. Rita is not a Gibson descendant as that comes through my Great-Grandmother Anna (Thompson) Sandefur, and not her husband. 

Our last stop of the day, before we lost the daylight that September evening, was to the Gibson Cemetery so she could see the graves of her 4x Grandparents and her 5x Grandfather. 

You can actually see Betsy in the background of this photograph that I took of Joel Gibson's tombstone that day. Photographed with her 5x Grandfather, what a spectacle, huh? I'm not sure she felt it but every time I go out there... I'm overcome with the connection to my ancestors. Gibson Cemetery will always be one of my absolute favorite places on Earth. 

As always - thank you for reading about the interesting people in my family tree! I appreciate every read my blog gets whether you're a loyal follower or a newcomer. Thank you so much!

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 33: Tragedy

There are a lot of things my ancestors have been through that could be described as 'tragic' or 'a tragedy.' It's hard to pick just one or two instances to write about, honestly. Especially since I love for y'all to get to know each and every one of my ancestors on such an intimate level. Every time I write about them, as a matter of fact, I get to know them even better as well. 

One 'tragedy' that I could mention is the family story that my Great-Great-Great-Great (4x) Grandparents died in an accident on their journey back from Hoodsville, Arkansas to Henderson, Kentucky. 

Supposedly, Charles Tandy Sandefur and his second wife, Shilo Watson, died on August 23rd, 1852 and were more than likely buried beside the road they died on. It's possible a few of their children might have perished with them, but I'm not 100% sure.

In 1850, the family is living in the Hoodsville (now it's not even a town) area of Jefferson County, Arkansas. The 1850 census lists them --

Tandy Stanifer - 60
Stulo Stanifer - 38
James A Stanifer - 17
Peter W Stanifer - 16
Isobl Stanifer - 13
Phylo H Stanifer - 12
Susan E Stanifer - 10
Bennett P Stanifer - 7
Thomas W Stanifer - 4
Judia Ann Stanifer - 3
John Stanifer - 0

Charles Tandy Sandefur and Shilo (Watson) Sandefur definitely disappear between the 1850 census and 1860, so them both dying in between those years is certainly plausible. But as for an accident claiming their lives... why didn't it take a child? Did it? Let's take account of each child in the 1850 census with them and where they go from there. 

James Archilles Sandefur dies young in March of 1860 of bronchitis here in Henderson County, Kentucky. His occupation is listed as a storekeeper. He never married nor had any children. He was only 27 years young. 

Peter W. Sandefur disappears after 1850 -- BUT there is a Peter Staniford that mustered into the Civil War (Union Side) in Illinois and mustered out in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Pine Bluff is Jefferson County, so this MIGHT be our Peter. I can't for the life of me find him in the 1860 or even 1870 censuses, though. 

Isabella Sandefur marries Wilkerson/Wilkinson Brewer on July 8th, 1852, in Jefferson County, Arkansas - she was 16 years young. They appear in Pine Bluff, Arkansas for the 1860 and 1870 census, and then Whiteville, Arkansas for the 1880 census. She disappears after 1880, as does her husband so they both likely died between 1880-1900. 

Philo Hilyer Sandefur returns to Henderson County, KY, where he marries Susan Rebecca Jarrett (half-sister of outlaw John Marion Jarrett) on February 3rd, 1860. They become my Great-Great-Great (3x) Grandparents through their son, Eugene Henry Sandefur. Philo lives out his life here and dies in the Western State Hospital on January 16th, 1915. In the 1900 census and 1910 census, Philo and Susan live at 1419 Clay St, Henderson KY, beside their son Eugene Henry Sandefur who lives at 1421 Clay St. These houses are directly across the street from the front door of the old Audubon School. 

Susan Elvira Sandefur disappears for the 1860 census, but she re-appears living with her half brother, William Henry Sandefur, in Henderson for the 1870 and 1880 censuses. She then disappears for 1900, 1910... until she dies in Louisville on December 20th, 1921. She was in the Kings Daughters Home and died of general senility. King's Daughters and Sons was a Home for the "Incurables." It was located at 1705 Stevens Ave. It was built in 1909 and used as the home for the incurables until it gradually turned into a nursing home. While digging for more information, I did find her under "Alvina Sanford" in the 1920 census for the King's Daughters Home... but still can't find her in the 1900 or 1910 census. 

Bennett Sandefur re-appears in the 1860 census in Henderson County, KY in the home of his older half-brother, Nathaniel Rufus Sandefur. He then disappears - so it's likely he died between 1860 and 1870. 

Thomas P. Sandefur makes it back to Henderson County, KY, where he's living with his older half-brother Henry C. Sandefur in the 1860 census. On December 4th, 1866, he marries Amelia "Ameny" Williams and they live here in the 1870 and 1880 census... then he disappears. Likely he died between 1880 and 1900. 

Ann "Annie" Sandefur ended up back in Henderson County, KY, for the 1860 census. She's living with her elder half-brother, Charles Tandy Sandefur Jr. By February 24th, 1870, she marries James H. Henry. She passes away on October 6th, 1874, and is buried out in Pleasant Valley Cemetery I believe. 

Lastly, John B. Sandefur, the youngest son, is back in Henderson County, KY by 1860 and living with his elder half-brother Nathaniel Rufus Sandefur. By July 24th, 1873, he marries Arabella "Belle" Williams. Sometime between their last child being born in 1885 and when John dies in 1901 - they moved to Chicago, Cook Co, IL. He died on April 24th, 1901, according to the death index.. yet strangely, Belle and Margaret live alone in the 1900 census and her marital status is "widowed." 

So it does appear that none of the children, or very likely none of the children, died in the accident that took Charles Tandy Sandefur and Shilo (Watson) Sandefur's life. Again, I really don't know if the tragic fate of their dying on the journey back to Henderson actually happened or not. With most of their children coming back to Henderson - it's a possibility they died here between 1850 and 1860. But with a few of their children staying in Arkansas and marrying young... it's entirely possible they left their children alone in the world. 

If they truly died the way they did, I do feel that's quite tragic. Charles Tandy Sandefur fathered at least five children that survived with his first wife, Martha Robards, before her death in 1831 at about 36 years young. Then he married Shilo in late 1831 and they had at least 10 more children that survived. Their eldest daughter together, Eliza Jane, stayed in Henderson and married her cousin, Bennett Sandefur, on March 13th, 1849. Eliza died sometime between the 1880 and 1900 censuses likely in Ohio County, KY, where they removed to and lived. 

Well, I hope this blog helped you get to know my 4x Grandparents and their offspring a bit. It certainly did help me to go over each one of them again. It's strange we always spend so much time on our direct ancestors but rarely ever look at our collateral lines. They can be the most interesting!

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 32: In the City

 Now.. I could get really out of hand with this blog topic real quickly, I imagine. When it comes to city living - most of my ancestors didn't hail from large cities. Most of my ancestors were simple farmers and they stayed in their small farming communities. Geneva, Smith Mills, Niagara in Henderson County. Waverly, Morganfield (which I suppose is 'big') for Union County. Paradise, Ennis, Greenville and Central City (the latter two being the biggest) for Muhlenberg County. 

Like my Great-Grandmother, Anna (Thompson) Sandefur. She was born in Smith Mills, lived most of her young life out there and then married. After marriage, they settled down in the heart of the city of Henderson - or rather, the heart of the east side. Then moved their family out to Niagara, which is where Grandma spent most of her young life until she decided to spend a year up in Chicago with her older sister. 

A lot of my Thompson Great-Granduncles moved to Chicago from Henderson County (the Niagara area.) Hell, Nana's youngest brother, Uncle Jake, ended up moving to Henderson, Nevada. Lived in Vegas for quite a while too I believe or at least worked there in the casinos, after having lived in Chicago for decades. 

Most of my Mefford relatives stayed in the Ennis community of Muhlenberg County until they got a bit older - then they'd retire to the Greenville or Central City areas. On the Jones side - a lot of them grew up in Wyatt, which is a tiny, tiny almost village like community and when they got older, they made the move to the bigger town nearby - Charleston, Missouri. 

For my Henderson County ancestors - mostly they stayed in the county until they got on up there in age and they'd move to Henderson into the rest home or moved in with a child for them to be cared for. Henderson isn't even that bustling of a town - but it is our county seat and the biggest town in the county. However, we're tiny compared to Evansville, right across the river or Owensboro, to our East by about 30 minutes. 

I imagine for my Great-Great-Grandparents - Henderson was like a huge town to them. Same with my Mefford ancestors - I imagine Greenville or Central City was huge to them. I believe my Great-Great Mefford Grandparents even ended up in Louisville with family a couple of times. That had to have felt like a humongous city to them. 

I wish I had some actual stories to share. Really the only ones I know about are like when my Nana would take Mom and Jay into town on the weekend and sometimes get them an ice cream or some candy. Both of my parents have made the comment that when you grew up as far out in the county as Niagara, going into town on the weekend was a big deal. Even bigger deal to go over to Evansville and shop somewhere like Sears.

Having been raised in the city of Henderson and living here my entire life - Henderson isn't huge to me whatsoever. I've visited cities like St. Louis, Nashville, and Louisville...now THOSE are large cities. Even Evansville and Owensboro feel tiny in regards to those three. 

I've gained a whole new appreciation for Henderson, though, now that we have the farm house out south of Sebree. Webster County is tiny. Even their county seat - Dixon - is way, way smaller than Henderson is. The area the farm is in... it's remote. Maybe not horse and buggy down a dirt road remote but... compared to being raised in east end Henderson - it's remote. It's desolate. It's B.F.E. 

Given the option between city living or farm living - I'd have to pick the convenience of city living. However - being out at the farm is nice to 'rest' and 'recharge,' if you will. It's nice to be able and go out there and not have to worry about the 'hustle and bustle' of city life in a way. There's a strong sense of 'everyone helps everyone' out there that big towns, even like Henderson, doesn't have. There's a kindness in strangers that is lost in a town as big as Henderson. 

Anyway - I realize this wasn't a super long blog on my behalf. I wish I had some great story about an ancestor travelling far from home and witnessing a big BIG city for the first time... but I just don't have one. I know my Nana got to travel to some bigger cities because her son worked for an airline and he could get her on some pretty cheap flights to certain places... but I just don't know those stories. I was too young to ask her about them. 

For now, this will have to do for the topic of 'in the city.' One day, I might delve more into how different Henderson is between let's say the 1960's and now in the 2020's. Now that subject, I could probably get pretty windy on. 

The Stigma Against Young Genealogists

When people try and tell me there isn't a stigma or some type of vendetta against young genealogists -- I roll my eyes every time. Here's a great case to show that there absolutely is a stigma against those who do genealogy and are under the age of.. well, let's shoot for about 50 years old. 

Now, as Daniel did, I'd like to point out that americanancestors dot ORG is the NEHGS and this IS NOT their blog. This is americanancestors dot INFO. But whoever created this blog absolutely infringed upon NEHGS and wanted their blog to be "credible" and "believable" and get a higher number of readers. Absolutely intentional. 

Look, I'm woman enough to admit that as a young genealogist, I've made some mistakes. In my own tree, when I was younger, I chased whatever lead I could find. I was a teenager. I didn't know any better. I thought anyone older than me and who had researched longer than me must have known everything....and they didn't know jack squat. 

When DNA became available for me, that helped me fix A LOT in my tree. Like a whole lot. I hadn't gone down many wrong branches but, I had a lot of stump ancestors it helped me get past. 

I'm even woman enough to admit that I've chased the wrong lines in a clients tree before. Especially if it's a super common name like Smith, Johnson, etc. I mean, in one given area, do you know how many John Smith's or Bill Johnson's there are? It's insane at times! 

But not every young genealogist is in it as a "money grab" and doesn't know what the hell they're doing. There is a stigma in ANY profession that if you don't have a fancy $$$ degree or certifications that cost a bunch of $$$ then you don't know what you're doing. 

I have proved a lot of those fancy $$$ certificate holders wrong over the years. I have proved a lot of "I've been doing genealogy for 50 years" people wrong. I have disproved family Bibles. I have disproved personal family history books written in the 1960's and 1970's. 

Genealogists work with something called the G P S. Genealogy Proof Standard. The GPS talks to you all about how as a genealogist, you can make an educated guess/theory based on all the evidence you've found. That's something I've used for years to help me with Joel Gibson and his descendants. Guess what? I finally found court documents to back up my GPS theories about Joel. Theories I made when I was a teenager. Stick that in the ol' pipe and smoke it. 

This blog was clearly written by someone I'd say over the age of 60 and they have been put to shame by a young, business, local, amateur genealogist. Sorry, but I'm not sorry you got your booty whipped by someone younger than you that you probably called a 'whipper snapper,' when they did it, lmao. 

There is a stigma in today's society that the only way someone can think "they know what they're about" with you is if you have a $$$ degree or $$$$$$ certifications. That simply isn't true. It's like schools today pushing kids to get a $100,000 degree from a 4-year-university and then only end up maxing out with a $18/hr job, whereas they could forego a university and go to a trade school and top out at much higher than that, without all the debt a university leaves you with. 

I wasn't born with a silver spoon. I don't have the $$$ to convert my religion and attend BYU for a fancy bachelors, then masters, then perhaps doctorate degree in genealogy or family history. I desperately wish I did. That said, I sure ain't willing to put myself in debt or my Dad in debt begging for the money to go to a prestigious university for that $$$ degree. Genealogy is the one and only thing that would EVER tempt me enough to go back to school. You're talking to a woman who doesn't even have a G.E.D. because, I'm doing just fine without it. 

I also don't have the luxury, time, or money to do a certification right now in life. Maybe when I'm older and have a bit more time, money, and luxury on my hands to be certified through the AGS or BCG, I will.. but for now. I'm making due. 

I've been at this for 21 years. I started at 7 years old in the genealogy department of HCPL. I learned how to do research the old way. Sure, by 2000, HCPL's genealogy department was a far cry more updated than it was in 1970 I have no doubt. But I learned without a computer. 

Does a computer help with genealogy now? Absolutely. Especially in C19 era. Has Ancestry, FamilySearch, and other websites been a huge help to genealogists, professional or enthusiast? Absolutely! People get mad at us "technologically savvy" genealogists but hey, we've discredited work done 50+ years ago because we now have hard documents to look at thanks to Ancestry and the like. 

We can now, sitting in our kitchen chair in the United States, look at documents scanned in on Ancestry from Germany, Russia, and the like. We don't have to travel places anymore to get what we need. Does traveling help and is it fun? Absolutely. But traveling to these courthouses that are 1,000 miles away... with gas almost $3.00/gal is NOT something you have to do. In today's age, you can call a courthouse or funeral home or cemetery office those 1,000 miles away and within a week, someone will fax you or email you a copy of the document you requested. 

That does NOT make me any less of a genealogist. Doing a binder for $210 instead of $3,000 doesn't make me any less of a genealogist. Working with DNA for $100 instead of $1,000 doesn't make me any less of a genealogist. I'm a small business owner and I know for a fact, I'd have never sold a single binder yet if I'd have started them at $3,000. But I'm enough of an educated woman to know at $210, I'm not turning a profit. That's why at the start of the year, my prices will go up again on everything. I know my worth. You don't get to determine that for me. A piece of paper from a college or certification board doesn't determine that for me. 

My happy clients, my success in finding biological families for almost a dozen people now... that is what determines my success. 

*mic drop*

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 31: Favorite Name(s)

 I've been working on my family tree for a long, long time -- twenty-one years now. I've come across a lot of interesting names of direct ancestors and some neat ones in collateral lines as well. The topic for this week (Week 31) is "Favorite Name" or in my case... "Favorite Name(s)." 

I could probably go all out and include names of distant cousins that are a favorite of mine, but, I think I'll just stick to direct ancestors for this. Of course, with each name, I'm going to give you a little biography about that said ancestor. I hope you follow along and enjoy. 

Mina Geneva

This is the name of my paternal Grandmother. Unlike the usual pronunciation, her name is MY-NUH, instead of MEE-NUH. The middle name, Geneva, is just like the little town in Henderson County named Geneva. JUH-KNEE-VUH. 

My Grandmother Mina was born on July 5th, 1934, in Wyatt, Mississippi County, Missouri to parents Edward Lee "Doc" Jones and Lorene Gertrude White. Grandma was the eldest of seven children.

Her first marriage was to Donald Lee Hendrix in about 1952 -- shortly after, he went off to fight in the Korean War. I don't believe he was over there very long before he got injured and was brought home. By September 29th, 1954, they became parents of a bouncing baby girl. On December 31st, 1957, they added a little boy to their family. At the time of births of their children, they lived in California. 

Marriage life wasn't bliss for Donald and Grandma... they eventually divorced. Sometime in late 1964 - she met my Granddad Glen. I believe they met in the town he was stationed in the Army -- Hammond, Indiana. By January 30th, 1965, they married in Evansville, IN. 

For them, they welcomed their first child, my father, on August 20th, 1965 - and then a daughter on August 26th, 1967. Both were born while the couple lived in Indiana. By about late 1968 or early 1969, they moved back to Kentucky. For sometime, they lived on the Henderson/Webster county line at a place called "The Tapp Farm" but then eventually bought a farm at the corner of Highway 416 and Upper Delaware Rd in Niagara. 

This is where they were living in 1970/1971 when my Dad met my Mom and Uncle Jay for the first time. Dad and Uncle Jay became immediate best friends and remained so until my Uncle's sudden death on July 5th, 2014 -- what would have been Grandma Mina's 80th birthday. 

Dad bounced around a lot when his parents decided to separate and he's lived in, I jokingly say, probably all of the lower 48 states. But primarily he's lived here in Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas. 

It was here in Henderson where Grandma Mina was living, Woodland Apartments actually, behind where my other set of Grandparents lived, when she drew her last breath on July 10th, 1982 - just five days after turning 48 years old. She died of a massive coronary infarction -- heart attack; and yes, heart problems run rampant in the family. 

My Grandma Mina died almost a full 11 years before I was born. You know they say that you can't miss something you've never had. You know, they say you can't grieve for a person you never met, or never knew, or passed long before you existed.. but I mourn her and grieve her and miss her every single day. Ever since I was little, I've wondered what she would have been like to know in person. 

The closest I've come to that is in my dreams. I've NEVER heard her voice... never. Not on a recording, no video tapes, no cassettes... but I've heard her and spoke with her in my dreams. The closest I've come to actually 'meeting' her was using the enhance and animation tools at MyHeritage and the Remini app. 

That little animation might be weird to some people.. might creep some out. It might be morbid to others. For some who actually knew my Grandma, they might say, that it's nothing like her.. but it's my favorite photograph of her (one with my Granddad) and she's just so beautiful... and to see her move around, to look around, and smile.. it's just incredible. The animation tool for still photos reminds me a bit of Harry Potter and how pictures can move. Like the photos of Harry's parents - Lily and James. They died when he was just a toddler.. The moving photographs, in a way, make me feel like the person isn't really gone. That they're still here, living in everything we write about them, say about them, talk about them, etc. 

Glynda Jane

My maternal Grandmother's name has always been ever bit as beautiful to me as my other Grandmother's. I love the unique spelling of Grandma's name - even though it's still pronounced GLEN-DUH. Her middle name, Jane, whether she had realized it or not until she was much older, came from her Grandmother's middle name, Janella. 

Grandma Glynda was born on Friday, June 13th, 1941, at a house that's no longer standing on Letcher St. here in Henderson. She was delivered by Dr. Walter O'Nan, the father of Dr. William O'Nan, who delivered me. Grandma was the fourth born child of Henry Lloyd Sandefur and Anna Elizabeth Thompson. In all, they reared six children. 

She primarily lived out in Niagara for most her young life and graduated from Henderson County High School, Class of 1959. Right after graduating, she moved for a year up to Chicago, IL, to live with her eldest sister, Carolyn. She ultimately returned home to Henderson - the Chicago life just wasn't what Grandma wanted after all. 

I believe my Grandparents met at the bowling alley through mutual friends -- little did they know at the time, they were third cousins. Fate eventually took its course and they were wed on March 31st, 1962, at Bellfield Baptist Church out in Anthoston. 

They had two children -- Mom on January 8th, 1963, and Uncle Jay on January 11th, 1965. They lived out in the Niagara area until finally moving to town in I believe 1976. 

Employment wise, Grandma did a little bit of everything when it came to bookkeeping, secretarial style work. The last job she worked was bookkeeping for Dodge Store and she retired in February of 2010 I believe. Sometimes I wonder if that's what slipped her into this sickness was stopping working and losing her 'routine' so to speak. 

I could type out the Lifetime movie or New York Times bestselling novel that needs to be told about the whole kidnapping and wrong-doing of my family involving my Grandma's heartless, no-good younger siblings but.. I'll refrain. 

My Grandma Glynda was my best friend.. she tried her best to make up for the fact that my other Grandma, Mina, was already deceased. In fact, they'd been friends with one another for a small time - their sons being best friends and all. I always wondered what Grandma Mina would think about sharing a Granddaughter with Grandma Glynda.. Now I guess they're in heaven together and Grandma Glynda is filling Grandma Mina in on everything about my childhood. I have no doubt when I get up there, my Grandma Mina will know me like the back of her hand. 

I miss my Grandma a lot. I played around, too, with her photos on the enhancement and animation features on MyHeritage and Remini app. It's nice to see her smile and come back to life again. Especially at an age that's much younger than I knew her as. 

Grandma was my first genealogy best friend. I'm so, so, so thankful to her for encouraging my love of genealogy and my curiosity to know our family history. I thank her so much for taking me out to the Gibson Cemetery that very first time and letting me soak in the love my ancestors had to give. Without that, I'm not sure the genealogy bug would have ever bitten as hard as it did. 

Janella and Camilla

I've always loved the name of my Great-Great-Grandmother and her twin sister. Mary Janella and Camilla (it's rumored Camilla had a first name as well. They, perhaps, might have both been named Mary as a first name) were born on October 20th, 1882, the twin daughters of Henry Oliver Nally and Vandalia Delia "Vannie" Gibson. 

They were the second and third children of seven -- the last two being another set of twins. Twins run in the Nally or the Gibson... or perhaps both families. It seems all my Catholic last names - even Thompson and Mattingly - are known for twins... but the Nally's especially so. 

Janella and Camilla married brothers -- John Rowan and Samuel "Sam" Thompson. Janella and John R. married on October 28th, 1902, in Henderson County - likely at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church. I know on July 1st, 1903, she was 'baptized' in Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church... so perhaps they married elsewhere and she converted to Catholicism. The Gibson's were not Catholic but the Nally's generally were. 

Janella and John reared eight children, one of which was my Great-Grandmother, Anna Elizabeth. When Janella was a child, they lived more in the Corydon area (typical of Gibson's) but after she and John married, they moved towards Smith Mills. My Great-Grandma, Anna, attended and possibly graduated Smith Mills High. 

Later in life, John and Janella bought land out in Niagara. Matter of fact, oil was found on their land and they became quite wealthy from it. They sold a portion of land for the new Niagara Elementary School that still exists today - they lived next door. The house, unfortunately, was torn down sometime in the 1990's. 

After John's death in 1959, Janella continued living in the house with her son T. Stron and her daughter, Margaret "Milka." Milka suffered from St. Vitus Dance in which she got from having strep throat as a child that went untreated. Milka passed in 1964, then it was just Janella and Stron living together in the old house. It never had indoor plumbing (shocking, I know.) 

By 1970, they had moved Janella to the old Medco rest home here in Henderson and she passed away on December 29th, 1972, at the age of 90. She outlived her twin sister, Camilla, by just over ten years. 

Of course, I had to enhance and animate the old photograph of Janella and Camilla from 1898 -- they were only sixteen years old when the portrait was taken. Seeing my Great-Great-Grandmother come alive again after 49 years gone. In 2022, she would be 140 years old. Hard to imagine, right? Oh what I wouldn't give to talk with her and learn what her entire life was like, especially her childhood. 

DeAnn "Ann" Conger

My 5x Great-Grandmother DeAnn "Ann" Conger was a surprise to me when I was able to get a bit further back on my Grandma Mina's side of the tree. Her name is interesting to me because MY middle name is DeeAnn. It's said that her name might have possibly be Cynthia DeAnn, and I know she also went by "Anny" on her marriage record. 

She was the daughter of John Conger and Sarah Dorris, at least, I think so anyway. She was certainly born in Indiana about 1803. On December 10th, 1825, in Clay County, Illinois, she married Levi C. Jordan. She was his second wife and I have DNA matches coming through both their marriage and his first one. (Actually the most descendants through the first one, to be honest.) 

Levi died sometime between 1840 and 1850 - likely in St. Francois County, MO or Madison County. In the 1850 census, DeAnn is living with her youngest children in Madison County, MO. By 1860, she's living with her youngest daughter, Esther Jane and her family, in St. Francois County. I believe DeAnn died between 1860 and 1870. 

It is unknown where either of them are buried. Levi C. Jordan fought in the War of 1812 - he was about 20 years old at the time. The Jordan's were rather well known, or at least the sons of Levi Jordan.. read up on Fort Jordan in Illinois sometime. That's my family. 

Fort Jordan Info

I descend through a female line -- Louisa Jordan who married Henry Tucker. But the Jordan boys are very fascinating to learn about. 

Jordan's Fort History

Unfortunately, there are no pictures existing of DeAnn. There is one on Ancestry of Levi Jordan, but I'm not 100% sold that it's him. 

Mary Olive Oatman "Ollie" Raley

The name of my 3x Great-Grandmother always struck me as interesting. I could have understood her name being Mary Olive, but the Olive Oatman part had me stumped for a many years. Her mother's maiden name certainly wasn't Oatman and I had no idea where it came from. 

That was, until I watched the show Hell on Wheels on AMC and learned a character on the show was based on Olive Oatman... I was stunned. This absolutely had to be the character in history that my Ollie Raley was named after. 

Olive Oatman Wikipedia

The real Olive Oatman was born in 1837 - my Ollie was born February 3rd, 1864; she was the daughter of George Washington Raley and Mary Francis Martin. The Raley's were of Catholic religion but I'm not sure the Martin's were. 

I believe that it was the book "Life Among the Indians" that one of Ollie's parents must have read that led them to naming their daughter after Olive Oatman. Matter of fact, Olive Oatman and her brother went around the country on a book tour with the author of the book.. for all I know, George Raley or Mary Martin might have actually MET the real Olive Oatman. 

Anyway -- my ancestor, Ollie, was one of at least ten children (I might be missing some infants that died young.) On October 8th, 1883, at Sacred Heart Church in Saint Vincent, Union County, KY, she married Samuel "Sam" Blandford. They were in the presence of Joseph Alvey and Alice Blandford. 

Ollie and Sam became the parents of at least eight children - one of which being my 2x Grandfather, Martin Allen Blanford. 

Ollie was said to have died at 42 years old on June 16th, 1906... I have, however, found no proof of this. She is also believed to be buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery/Saint Vincent Cemetery. Her husband, Sam, who died ten years later, is also buried here...as are a number of their descendants. 

I have yet to find any type of death ledger or obituary for Ollie. I need to go to the actual church and see if they have a burial record for her. I do know, absolutely, she died between 1903-1910. I do believe she lived all of her life between Waverly and Morganfield in Union County (between those two cities is the general vicinity of Saint Vincent.) 

Unfortunately, I have no photographs of Sam Blandford or Ollie. I know after Ollie's passing, he remarried to Minnie Mullins and had a few more children. Sadly, after Sam's passing, Minnie's life got hard for quite a while. She got behind in money and payments and was evicted from her home at one time or another. Very sad. 

Sevilla Catherine French

My 4x Grandmother, Sevilla Catherine French, has always had an interesting first name in my opinion. Sevilla.. it's also spelled Cevilla or Civilla a few times but the most often it's spelled Sevilla. I assume it's pronounced SUH-VILL-UH. 

She was born on May 8th, 1836, in Union County, Kentucky, to Joseph French and Priscilla Bowles. I believe she was one of about six children - possibly more. The French's and the Bowles' were well known Catholic families. 

On December 2nd, 1856, in Union County, Kentucky, (likely in Saint Vincent or Saint Peter's Church) she married William Henry "Joe" McBride. In the 1900 census - she reports they've had 10 children and only 4 are living. One of those four was my 3x Grandmother - Matilda Catherine (McBride) Nally. 

It appears Sevilla lived all of her life in Union County and ultimately died likely in the Waverly area, supposedly, on July 26th, 1908. Again, I've found no death ledger entry, no tombstone in the cemetery, and no obituary. She's said to be buried in St. Peter's Cemetery in Waverly. I've been there and I found no tombstone for she or her husband, Joe, who died after her in 1917. 

Unfortunately, once more, I have no photographs of Joe McBride or Sevilla (French) McBride. There is an old photograph that I've seen, but do not have access to now, of my 3x Grandparents - Thomas Sidney Nally and Matilda Catherine McBride. I'd love to have a copy of that but I don't know who to go through to get it. 

Mary Philapine Lawrey

My 3x Grandmother and her entire family has plagued me as a bit of a mysterious enigma for a many years until DNA testing came along. With my DNA, I was able to unravel a bit of it, but with my Mom's DNA, I was able to unravel a bit more. 

I always thought her middle name being Philapine (or a similar spelling to that) was interesting and possibly could have been a family name. I knew already that her parents names were Robert Lawrey and Elizabeth Hill... but their parents, well, that's where the mystery was. 

The last name Lawrey could be spelled A MILLION different ways including: Lawery, Lowrey, Lowery, Lowry, Lawry, Laurie, Laughary, and more. I pieced together through censuses and DNA that Mary Philapine had at least eight siblings. In the 1900 census, Elizabeth (Hill) Lawrey says she has birthed 10 children and only 4 survive. My 3x Grandmother I do not believe was one of those. 

Mary Philapine Lawrey married Benjamin Hardin LaRue on September 3rd, 1867, in Henderson County, KY. They were not Catholic - I don't believe anyway. I know the original LaRue's were French Huguenots. I'm unsure of the Lawrey religion. 

I believe Ben and Mary had at least eleven children but the real number, honestly, has been lost to history. Among their children was my 2x Grandfather - Charles Clarence LaRue. At one time, Charles had his daughter, my Great-Grandmother, Lorene, write into a newspaper for information on his father's side of the family. Apparently once Ben LaRue's parents passed away and he moved away from the area he was raised - he no longer spoke about his family... not his brothers or sisters or their children, so Dad LaRue (my 2x Grandfather) was completely clueless of his LaRue origins. 

The Lawrey's however lived here in Henderson and Evansville, so I believe he probably knew at least a few of them, but probably not all of them. I believe Mary Philapine died sometime between 1880 and 1900, because her husband Benjamin is absolutely widowed by the 1900 census. It is said he died in 1901. It's also said that they are both buried, unmarked, in the Smith Mills Cemetery. This very well could be. I would imagine they're very close to where their son, my 2x Grandfather, is buried with his wife. There is absolutely room there for an unmarked burial. Perhaps they do have a tombstone and it's just not been found/recovered. 

The Lawrey line still remains a bit of an enigma to me, but I've pieced together that I believe my 6x Grandparents might have been John Patrick Lowry III and Dorcas Montgomery. I have DNA matches through them so.. it's a possibility. 

As for where the Philapine name came from... I finally came across Elizabeth (Hill) Lawrey's death certificate. She died in Evansville on February 24th, 1916.. On her death certificate it gives her parents names as John Hill and Philipine Stanfield. The Hill line stumps for me there, but I do believe Philipine was the daughter of Thomas Stanfield and Elizabeth Michaels. Why? Because Thomas' parents were John Stanfield and Phillippina Jones... you guessed it, it's a family name, and I DO have DNA matches through them -- well, Mom does anyway, as they'd be my 7x Grandparents. 

I hope with more time and as more people DNA test, I can get a much clearer idea of my Lawrey, Hill, and Stanfield lines. I wish with time that I could get to know a bit more about Ben LaRue and Mary Philapine Lawrey. There's a number of photographs of their children that appear to have been taken at a studio in about 1900. If they were truly taken in 1900 - Ben would have still been living, but perhaps, he felt like he was too old to be photographed. 

No photographs exist of Ben or Mary - but there is a photograph of Elizabeth (Hill) Lawrey with her son and his family. I'm extremely grateful to have that photo. 

Susannah "Susan" Schweitzer

The first name isn't the favorite here - it's the last name. For a long time, I believed my 4x Grandparents were John Byrd and a Susan Sweilzer - that's what all the family trees on Ancestry had. It wasn't until I was really able to sit down and dig, get better at genealogy, and do some DNA until I realized the last name is actually SCHWEITZER. 

The last name is commonly misspelled as Sweilzer, Switzer, and countless others. I knew the Byrd's hailed from Posey County, Indiana, but I wasn't sure of where Susan came from until I looked at censuses. They consistently listed her place of birth as Pennsylvania. Wow. How'd she end up in Posey County, IN? 

I finally came across her death certificate from July 5th, 1902, and learned she was 100 years old. It did confirm she was born in Pennsylvania. It also confirmed the spelling of the last name for me -- Schweitzer, not Sweilzer. That helped a lot. 

The first appearance of Susan that I had was that she married John Byrd in Posey County on March 12th, 1831. They had at least seven children, one of them being my 3x Grandfather, John Byrd. I looked at censuses to see if any other Schweitzer's lived near them and hit a dead end. I turned to DNA and looking into if any other Schweitzer's married in Posey County relatively close to 1831 that could point towards being a sibling to Susan. 

Sure enough, a sister Mary "Polly" Schweitzer married Samuel Davis in Posey Co, on March 24th, 1830. Polly's birth place in census is Ohio. So this is starting to make a little sense that perhaps the Schweitzer family migrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio then to Indiana. 

My best information came from something I found in the newspaper once I finally had a Genealogy Bank subscription. 

"Came to this county early in the last century with her husband, one of the pioneers of Posey County. She was from Pennsylvania and her ancestors were prominent in that state in the days of William Penn." I was absolutely FLOORED! So my family were PIONEERS of Posey County, IN? Wow. 

I started scouring mine and especially Mom's DNA matches for Schweitzer's or any variation. I kept hitting the same Schweitzer family from Berks County, Pennsylvania. So I was determined I had to be a descendant of one of their children - the couple being Peter Schweitzer and his wife, Elizabeth Heffelfinger. I had Schweitzer DNA matches AND Heffelfinger DNA matches to my surprise so... one of their sons HAS to be the father. 

I finally researched enough to realize it was Jacob Schweitzer who was their son and had married Elisabeth Hoke, and they'd moved from Berks County, Pennsylvania to Columbiana County, Ohio. Jacob and Elisabeth lived in the 1840's. I'm unsure why their two daughters went into Indiana unless they went to Posey County travelling with friends, other family, with their church/religion.. I don't know. I know my Byrd's didn't come out of Ohio so I highly doubt Susan Schweitzer met John Byrd BEFORE coming to Posey County. I'd love to know how they met. I'd love to ask her why she came to Posey County with her sister, Polly. 

It does seem that some other Schweitzer's came to the Evansville area - they eventually changed the spelling to just plain Switzer. Several are buried in Evansville's more predominantly German cemeteries/areas of cemeteries. They absolutely have to be related to Susan Schweitzer Byrd in one way or another -- probably distant cousins. Evansville and the surrounding area (like Gibson County and the like) attracted lots of German immigrants. That said - I don't believe my Byrd's hailed from Germany. I believe Byrd is an English surname. 

Susan was buried in the Mount Pleasant Baptist Cemetery in Mt. Vernon, Posey County, Indiana. If she's buried there - I feel her husband is likely there as well, unless he's buried out on the old family farm or something such as that. 

I really wish an old photograph existed of Susan.. I know the Byrd's were big on family reunions and photographs and the like. But I guess it didn't start until Susan's children and grandchildren. 

Although John and Susan only had at least seven children -- they had many, many grandchildren and by extension, even more Great and Great-Great and so forth Grandchildren. Their descendants populate Posey County and even Henderson County today. 

Shilo Watson

I think we can all say we love the name 'Shilo', mainly because of the dog, Shiloh, from the 1996 film. I loved it even more when I learned I had an ancestor with the name - even if she was a bit of a mystery. 

For many years, I believed Shilo most likely was a daughter of John Tarlton Watson and Betsy English. They have MANY Watson children and many descendants in Henderson County, today... but after my Mom and I did our DNA, things just weren't adding up with her being their child. 

I had many Copeland DNA matches and with time, I came to realize, Shilo was the daughter of Thomas Watson and Rebecca Copeland. She was born in about 1814 in Henderson County, KY. I believe she was the first child of her parents who married here August 5th, 1813. Funny enough, she has a brother named Tarlton, and in fact, it could be a twin brother as his estimated birth year, too, is 1814. 

She had at least ten siblings and it appears her mother had children from the years 1814 through at least 1840. That's QUITE a span of age of the children. For some reason, it appears, that Thomas Watson and Rebecca Copeland left the Henderson area and moved to Graves County, KY, by 1840. Thomas was widowed between 1850-1860. 

I have many DNA matches through Rebecca's parents - Abel Copeland and Sarah Berry. However - Thomas' father is meant to be Peter Watson, born 1764. I believe this is the same Peter Watson that appears in the Henderson County census in 1810. The age is given "45 and over." Peter likely died here between 1810-1820. 

Going back to John Tarlton Watson - he was the son of Robert Watson, born 1757. I ponder if he was a brother of my Peter Watson, born 1764. I know my Peter hailed from North Carolina, and I believe John Tarlton's father, Robert, might have as well. At the very least, Virginia.. and back in those days, Virginia and North Carolina, the difference between the two was quite fickle. Families hopped across the border of the two states for decades and decades. 

Anyway - back to Shilo and her life. On December 20th, 1831, in Henderson County, KY, she married widower Charles Tandy Sandefur. Sometime between I believe 1840 and 1850, the family moved from Henderson County, KY to Hoodsville, Jefferson County, Arkansas. Hoodsville ONLY existed in the 1850 census. It got a post office that year, and its post office was discontinued later that year. Hoodsville is located in Jefferson County, Arkansas, which the county seat of that county is Pine Bluff. 

Now, family legend says that Shilo and Charles both passed away during an accident that occurred while the family was moving back from Hoodsville, AR to Henderson, KY. Supposedly that accident took place on August 23rd, 1852. We know they had at least ten children - one of which being my 3x Grandfather, Philo Hilyer Sandefur. 

I ponder if Philo was named after his mother in a way, her name being Shilo. Their youngest son was named John and he was born in 1850 -- and he, if he was in that accident, survived and didn't die until 1901. Their youngest daughter, born 1847, didn't die until 1874. 

One thing is for sure, Shilo and Charles both disappear between 1850 and 1860, whether they died in an accident between AR and KY or not. One thing is certain: between his two wives, the first being Martha Robards and the second being Shilo Watson -- Charles Tandy Sandefur is the forefather of ALL Sandefur's in Henderson County and the surrounding area today. The man had at least fifteen or sixteen cildren total. 

In the 1850 census, their last name is given as "Stanifer." I have found in my DNA matches that Sandefur can be spelled many different ways - including Stanifer, Standifur, Sandford, etc. 

Once again, like with many of my other ancestors -- no photographs exist.. and sadly, no known burial location exists either. If they truly died in an accident on the road between Hoodsville, AR, and Henderson, KY... somewhere along the journey... then they're likely buried off the side of the road somewhere, or in that area's pauper graveyard. Sad.. but likely true. 

Susan Rebecca Jarrett

Again, this one isn't so much a favorite name or a favorite last name even as much as it is a favorite ancestor in general. Because of Susan Rebecca (Jarrett) Sandefur, I can say I'm related to someone who, might be a controversial figure in history but.. in my eyes, an amazing historical figure -- the outlaw John Jarrett. 

Susan Rebecca was born on April 14th, 1841 in likely Jefferson County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Joshua Jarrett and his second wife, Martha Ann Washburn, who married in that county on March 29th, 1840. 

Joshua had already been married once previous - Mary Elizabeth Dawson on August 11th, 1828, in Nelson County, KY. Together they had at least two sons, Ben, who I believe died young, and then the outlaw, John Marion Jarrett. 

With Martha, it appears they only had one daughter - my 3x Grandmother, Susan. Martha apparently died about two years later, quite possibly in childbirth. Joshua married for the third time after moving to Henderson County, KY, to the widow Julia Harvey (Cheaney) Brooks. 

In the 1850 census, Julia is widowed and has Susan in her household. Joshua apparently died in 1849 here in Henderson County. Susan went on to marry Philo Hilyer Sandefur on February 3rd, 1860, here in Henderson County. In 1862, Philo and Susan go to court and fight Julia for things of Joshua's and some inheritance money it appears. All I could find about it is "P.H. Sandefur vs. Julia H. Priest, administrator of Joshua H. Jarrett, December 1862. No.12587 #209A." 

If I had to take a guess -- I'm going to imagine that Joshua left Julia some things in his will that were only allowed to go to her if she never married again. I've seen many wills worded that way - "I leave this to my widow for as long as she doesn't remarry." Well, Julia re-married to a Priest in 1850. I imagine that made things she received when Joshua died in 1849 null and void. 

Also, it's very possible that Susan only being shy of 9 years old when her father died and Julia being the step-mother, she might have pulled some type of 'Cinderella' act on her and kept her inheritance from her. 

Susan and Philo went on to have, recorded by Susan in 1900, nine children and six of them were still living. Her half-brother, John Jarrett, ended up moving to Missouri "with an Uncle of his" which had to be on his Dawson side, not the Jarrett side, and married Josephine Younger... yes, the sister of the Younger's of the "Younger-James Gang." 

It was always rumored that Jesse James came to Henderson County at one point and hid out at a cave in Robards, KY. You know, I always wondered why. Why come to Henderson? They didn't rob any banks here. The nearest robbery was Russellville, KY. Well, I believe I solved why they came here. It was because of John Jarrett having a half-sister here. 

They might not have shacked up at the Sandefur's house, but I imagine that Susan had a soft spot for her half-brother and she probably helped feed and clothe them, and possibly hide their whereabouts. I'm not even sure historians ever made a connection between John Jarrett and any family here, to be honest with you. 

In fact, it was never known he was here until I came across the marriage license of his daughter, Rosella Edwards Jarrett... she states she was born in Henderson, KY on February 6th, 1875. I don't know just how long they were here... but they were absolutely here. In the 1870 census, the family had "faked their death and left Missouri" a few years prior and ended up in Louisiana. By 1876, they're in California. San Mateo to be exact. 

The Russellville, KY robbery happened on March 20th, 1868 and it is believed John was with them when that robbery took place. I believe it was after this that he "faked his death" in that housefire in Missouri, and then afterward fled to Louisiana. After the heat died down a bit, so to speak, he came to Henderson and had Rosella in 1875. Then headed west. 

John's life and story is a sad one. His wife died. His son I believe died young. And by the time he died in 1906, his daughters wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. John died only nine months after his half-sister Susan, who died here in Henderson on July 16th, 1905. 

Until I made the connection with DNA and records - I'm not sure any other Sandefur descendant had ever made the connection between Susan and John. Hell, most historians to this day firmly believe he and his family died in a housefire in Missouri. Then other historians believe he died in California in the 1890's. Again, he faked his death and fled the area after undoubtedly getting in trouble again. He followed his daughters up to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 

I'm unsure if Susan ever heard from John again after Rosella's birth in Henderson in 1875. I wonder if she truly believe he died in the mountains of California in the 1890's.. I wonder if John knew his half-sister died nine months before himself. I wish I could talk to them. 

Susan, it appears, was a beautiful lady. I believe, honestly, when I look at her and the known pictures of John Jarrett - that they must resemble the Jarrett side of their family because I see subtle similarities between them. Susan and Philo are laid to rest in Fernwood Cemetery right next door to where I live. I'm proud to call her an ancestor and wish I knew more about the story of her parents - Joshua and Martha, and especially more about her mysterious outlaw brother, John. 

The Jarrett's were a tough family to figure out via DNA.. it took a lot of work with Mom's DNA to finally figure out just who Joshua Jarrett's parents were. He was the son of John Jarrett Sr and Sophia Margaret Plott, from North Carolina. The family migrated to Kentucky slowly but surely. A lot of Joshua's siblings ended up further into western Kentucky than Joshua himself (landing in Henderson County.)

I made the connection of Joshua being their son because I have a many DNA matches through the grandparents -- Daniel Jarrett and Mary Moyer, and Johannes Platz (Plott) and Margaret Seitz. DNA is a wonderful thing for breaking down brick walls. Slowly but surely. 

Last, but certainly not least Vandalia Delia Gibson, and her mother, Mahala Caroline Busby. 

I thought I'd write about them both -- I've written about Vannie a few times previous but, her mother, Mahala Caroline Busby has such a beautiful name as well. So first I'll talk about Mahala and then work into speaking about Vandalia. 

My 4x Grandmother, Mahala Caroline Busby, was born in January of 1820 in Gallatin, Sumner County, Tennessee. She was one of about seven children born to William L. Busby and Elizabeth Denton. Her parents married here on December 28th, 1813, then moved to Tennessee. Her father, William, died there, but Elizabeth returned and died in Henderson County in 1856. She even has a still existing tombstone. That's a topic for another day. (Actually I think I touched on it in the blog I wrote about my direct maternal line.) 

Mahala married John Gregory Gibson on November 1st, 1841, here in Henderson County. They became the parents of at least thirteen children and lived out the rest of their lives in the Cairo/Corydon areas of Henderson County, KY. Both she and John are buried in the Gibson Cemetery and their tombstones are in desperate need of some TLC with D/2. 

Every child of theirs is in Gibson Cemetery too except for Neosha "Noty" who is buried in Fernwood beside of me. John Gregory Gibson remarried to a woman named Elizabeth on March 16th, 1871. She had previously been married to a 'Young.' I am unsure of Elizabeth's maiden name or where her final resting place is. Probably with her first husband, but, possibly Gibson Cemetery. 

Mahala passed away on November 18th, 1868, and John on November 6th, 1890. Without them, my 3x Grandmother, Vandalia, certainly wouldn't exist. It is unknown what either of them died of as death records didn't really exist back then. Maybe at some point I can dig back in old Henderson newspapers and find an obituary for them. 

Vandalia was born on December 21st, 1856, in the Cairo area of Henderson County (honestly the area that's between Corydon and Cairo.) She went on to marry Henry Oliver Nally on January 28th, 1880, in Old Highland Missionary Baptist Church in Morganfield, Union County, KY. See, the Gibson's were not Catholic, whereas the Nally's were. I believe Vandalia probably became Catholic for Henry after their marriage. That was usually fairly customary back then. 

They had seven children - including two sets of twins, which I've already noted further up in this article when I talked about Mary Janella (Nally) Thompson. 

Vandalia lived out her life bouncing between Cairo, Hitesville, Corydon, and then finally the city of Henderson. She became widowed on December 14th, 1925, and she herself passed away on July 5th, 1949. It's amazing that I've NEVER found a photograph of either of them... I desperately want to know what Vandalia looked like. Dying in 1949, there HAS to be an old black and white photo of her somewhere. I just need the right cousin to come forward with it.

The closest to a photo of Vandalia that I can come is a picture of her twin daughters, and one of her sisters. 

Well - there's probably a few other "favorite ancestors" I might could write about tonight but I think I'll draw a close on this already much longer than anticipated blog. Thank you, as always, for reading my coffee fueled ramblings.